Michael McDonald was reportedly relieved that due to the pandemic, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year was virtual instead of in person in Cleveland.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, McDonald said, "I love getting awards and am honored to do so, but I’m socially inept at these events. The last time I went to the Grammys, I was the only one in a tuxedo, so I was actually relieved that we didn’t have to go through the whole thing. It fits my personality to stay home and watch it on television.”
McDonald is also working on new music in his friend's barn studio in Santa Barbara, California.
He added, "[It's] a very old school, organic way of recording... What emerged in these [new] songs was my love of California, which was renewed by returning after living in Nashville for an extended time. What surprised me was what I had missed --not the endless summer, the ocean and the mountains as anticipated, but the beauty and depth of California’s Hispanic culture. At our best, the United States’ amalgam of cultures makes us feel unity, and at our worst, it’s what separates us. We should be reminded of what an essential part it is of what’s beautiful about America.”
David Hidalgo from Los Lobos playing accordion, Willie Nelson and Spanish singer Buika are among the artists adding to the Spanish sound of McDonald's sessions.
The Doobies' 50th anniversary tour is scheduled to start on July 17th in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Talking about the tour, McDonald said, “I hope we get to do it this summer. We’re supposed to play big venues, and it seems that may be the last thing to come back and feel safe. I hope it happens, but I wonder how long it will take us to get back to that carefree attitude about being in large crowds.”
[courtesy of Classic Hits Today]